The Rise and Fall of Black Baseball: Remembering the Birth of the Negro National League – 100 Years Ago
By Donald James Racism in the early-to-mid 20th century – and other periods of time - was painfully ugly in the United States of America. Such hatred, along with laws of bigotry – written and unwritten - robbed African Americans of the same opportunities afforded to whites freely and unconditionally. And playing professional baseball in America – the national pastime since the 1850s - was no exception. In the early-to-mid 1900s, white Major League Baseball players such as Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Mel Ott and Ted Williams were deemed superstars and ultimately elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Yet, during their playing heydays, and that...
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MSNBC’S Joy Reid Becomes First Black Woman to Anchor an Evening Cable News Show
Thursday, MSNBC announced Joy Reid will anchor a new evening news program called "The ReidOut". The show is set to premiere weeknights at 7 PM beginning July 20. Reid is making history becoming the first Black woman to host a primetime cable news show. “I’m honored and thankful for this opportunity,” said Reid in a statement released by MSNBC. Reid, also a New York Times best-selling author, formerly hosted "AM Joy" also on MSNBC. Reid said, “I’ll always be proud of the work we did on ‘AM Joy’ by pushing the envelope and tackling pragmatic conversations. I’m eager to carry that same energy into the 7...
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Super-sized Racism (Part 2): Black McDonald’s Franchise Owners Should Matter
As appeared first in the Michigan Chronicle By Trevor Coleman During a recent interview with CNBC news, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski bragged that his company has “probably” created more Black millionaires than any other corporation. Setting aside the fact the NFL, NBA, and a few other businesses may have something to say about that, the statement nonetheless did raise the question of the fast-food behemoth’s relationship with the African American community. Especially given the shocking allegations of systemic racism at the highest levels of the corporation made this year in a lawsuit against the corporation by former African American executives. Kempczinski himself is at the center...
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NFL Will Play Black National Anthem at Games
As appeared first in the Michigan Chronicle By Stacy M. Brown When Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the playing of the national anthem to bring awareness to social and other injustices faced regularly by Black and Brown individuals in America, the National Football League, President Donald Trump, and others wrongly associated the quarterback’s actions as a protest against the U.S. flag and the nation’s military. In the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd, protests and demonstrations have awakened America and most of the world to the plight of African Americans who long have suffered injustice, inequality, and an overall lack of understanding. The...
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WHO’S WHO IN BLACK RELAUNCHES WITH NEW WEBSITE
DETROIT – Who’s Who In Black, a Real Times Media subsidiary, announces a new initiative to build a dedicated online community of African American professionals. The new initiative recognizes the growing need to provide African American professionals of various backgrounds the opportunity to connect and grow. Furthermore, it represents a shift in the ethos of Who’s Who In Black (formerly Who’s Who Publishing). “In the past, only select markets could be a part of the network,” said Hiram E. Jackson, CEO of Real Times Media, “But we listened to customer’s demands for a more interactive and multifaceted platform. Then, COVID-19 made it clear that we needed...
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Discover Launches $5 Million Campaign Funding Black-Owned Restaurants Based on Consumer Nominations
It's no secret COVID-19 has been bad for businesses across the board. Additionally, statistics have shown how the pandemic has negatively impacted communities of color. Tuesday, Discover announced its stepping up to provide support to Black-owned restaurants. "COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on businesses across the United States, and we want to help effect positive change by offering financial support to Black-owned restaurants, a segment of the economy that has been disproportionately impacted during this pandemic," said Julie Loeger, Discover Executive Vice President and President of U.S. Cards, in a released statement. Discover is committing $25,000 to 200 restaurants each week which totals out to $5 million....
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The Recording Academy Announces Valeisha Butterfield Jones As First Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer
According to grammy.com, the Recording Academy has named Valeisha Butterfield Jones as its first Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer in its 63-year history. This hiring comes based off the recommendation of the Recording Academy Diversity & Inclusion Task Force which is comprised of music and entertainment leaders such as rapper Common, Debra Lee of BET, and Universal Music Group Executive Vice President Michele Anthony. Jones, former head of global inclusion at Google, will be "bring business acumen and strategic rigor to inclusion practices across all areas of the Recording Academy, including internal and external programs, organizational and staff culture, membership, awards and related initiatives," according to...
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PayPal to Commit $530 Million to Support Black-Owned Businesses
As appeared first on the Chicago Defender By Racquel Coral In the month following the brutal murder of Minneapolis resident George Floyd, several major companies have shown their support for the Black community through statements, the inclusion of more Black people in executive roles, as well as donations and investments. One of the largest came from the tech giant, PayPal’s venture capital arm, PayPal Ventures. As part of their $530 commitment to Black-owned businesses and communities, PayPal Ventures has pledged $500 million in direct investments. The funds will be used to strengthen Black communities and businesses in the long-term by assisting with driving financial health, access,...
Read moreSuper-sized racism: former McDonald’s execs strike back in explosive race discrimination lawsuit
As appeared first in the Michigan Chronicle By Trevor Coleman and Trevor W. Coleman II For more than 50 years the McDonald’s Corporation took pride in branding itself as a socially conscious corporation particularly interested in doing business in abandoned and long-ignored Black communities while embracing racial diversity as a critical component of its corporate ethos. It is a philosophy that helped create a popular narrative and also focus on story that the Chicago-based company was a progressive business and a place where African Americans could grow, find mentors, promotions, and economic opportunity. However, that image was shattered this year in an explosive lawsuit brought by two African American female executives who claim that under new...
Read moreMessage from the CEO
Dear Network, During these trying times, we wanted to reach out to you to bring you a bit of good news. Just like you, we hunkered down at home to ensure that we kept our families and our communities safe amidst the COVID-19 crisis. Then, we watched in horror as our community witnessed yet another example of police brutality. Over the past few months, we have been saddened, afraid, horrified and angry. But we’ve also been inspired by the leadership and resiliency of our community to face two crises with bravery, creativity, and passion. We know that the African American community possess the professionals, the creatives, the scholars and the visionaries needed to guide us through troubled waters. For the...
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